An extra, or background actor, is a figure or character that can appear in a movie, series or theatre play. Normally, the extra appears on set only in the background, and doesn’t have any kind of influence in the development of the narrative; in most cases, it is even impossible to identify the identity of the extras, i.e., their faces aren’t clearly seen by the spectator. However, sometimes, even though it is not very common, a background actor can play a more active role in the story, which will allow to identify him, and the extra may also have to speak; nevertheless, his participation is always very limited, so he may say a few words, like “I’m sorry” after stumbling on some main character, or there can be an interaction between two or more extras, who act like spectators and call the attention for some detail in the scene, which will create some suspense and also bring the real spectator’s attention to the focal point.
Despite the fact that extras don’t intervene actively in the story, and that their actions are very limited, the role they play, whether it is in a movie or television series, is essential, because they bring realism to the scenes and events portrayed. For example, in a war scene appear hundreds of extras, that play the role of soldiers, and if they weren’t there the movie wouldn’t be true to reality; also, in a more real life example, if there is a couple in a romantic story taking a walk in the park, it cannot be empty, there has to be people walking around, playing sports, etc., just like it happens in real life. In theatre plays, extras normally have a more active role, since they usually only appear in big productions, in which they may have to sing and/or dance, in case of a musical, or act in accordance to the group of individuals they are representing, which can be a big crowd, a buyer at a store, a visitor at a museum, just to state a few examples, or any other sort of acting that is necessary to convey realism to the narrative presented.
